Schmidt & Gurbo (2008) tells us that research indicates that 95% of all students can be taught to read. Traditional reading strategies that target comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, phonics and phonemic awareness are used daily in schools around the country to assist struggling readers. Content Knowledge (CK) and Pedagogical Knowledge (PK) are important components of how successful a teacher in teaching literary skills. Technological tools are available to enhance teaching reading skills and these can also modify how students learn literacy skills. In Chapter 3 of our text, the aim is to facilitate the integration of CK, PK and technology to form, what we know to be Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK). Teachers need to become guides as to how we accommodate learning in this ever changing technology guided world. Our text states: The Internet is a “moving target” that will continually change according to what society expects from a literate person (Kinzer & Leander, 2003, p.547). Literacy will constantly be redefined as new technologies emerge and as expectations changes for what it means to be literate. Students and educators in today’s literacy classrooms must use a variety of technological resources and tools as they synthesize information to communicate knowledge. Likewise, literacy educators will be expected to respond to these changes with a solid knowledge base about specific content, pedagogical and technological knowledge related to literacy (Schmidt & Burbo, 2008, p. 63). Our text breaks down the performance areas literacy teachers must possess:
foundational knowledge
instructional strategies and curriculum materials
assessment, diagnosis and evaluation
creating a literate environment
professional development (Schmidt & Burbo, 2008, 64)
Intertwined with the above the PCK our texts suggest are:
Teach literacy as a developmental continuum
Apply the appropriate teaching methods and strategies while considering the diversity of learners and individual differences
Create a supportive environment that increasers learners’ engagement
Motivate students to read
Select and use a large range of strategies and tools for assessment (Schmidt & Burbo, 2008, p.65)
In an article written by Levinz & Klieger (2010), the claim is that in this Information Communication Technology era, teachers need to become informed about and utilize the online environment. Levinz & Klieger designed an indicator to project the magnitude to which TK is integrated with PCK. The authors used this method to indicate how much TK is with CK and PCK is integrated within several teacher created lesson plans. The study researched fifty three online tasks developed by fourteen high school teachers in different content areas between 2001 and 2007. Here are the attributes of this indicator:
Measures
Pedagogical Knowledge (PK)
Adaptation to students
Adaptation of sources to which the tasks refer
Affording a solution for the heterogeneity of the students in the learning process
The readability and clarity of the language In the texts of the task or to which the task refers
Meaningful Learning
Encouraging creativity/originality of the learner
The interactivity of the task and the development of IT skills
Congruity with the curriculum
Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK)
Ways for representing the information that are appropriate to the field of knowledge and the subject of the task
Designing the task in digital format
Orientation and clarity of navigation
Technological Knowledge (TK)
Organization of the information in the digital format and meeting the rules of ethics on the Internet
Added value of the digital text and online environment
Technological Pedagogical TP
Diverse means of illustration and expression
The benchmarks of levels of performance of these tasks were: 1—low 2—medium 3—high The results indicate that through the time frame the study lasted (six years) the quality of the tasks increased with time and with guidance. This supports the necessity for Professional Development and continual support for technology to be successfully integrated in school’s curriculum.
In the webinar series conducted by the Center for Implementing Technology in Education: http://www.cited.org/library/site/media/Enhancing%20Content%20Area%20Reading.pdf defines content literacy as the ability to use reading and writing to acquire new content knowledge, the ability to build on prior knowledge, and the ability to understand specialized vocabulary. The webinar states that student problems are; identifying main ideas and details, sorting information, perceiving levels of importance, and connecting ideas. The following illustration offers suggestions as to how to connect strategies to software tools:
Literacy Strategies Software Tools Comprehension Monitoring-----------------------------------------------Electronic text with speech recognition capabilities Use of semantic organizers---------------------------------------------- Use of hypertext Question Answering-------------------------------------------------------- Visual Concept Organization Programs Question Generatio----------------------------------------------------------Visual Concept Organization Programs Text Structure----------------------------------------------------------------- Writing Templates Summarization---------------------------------------------------------------- Word prediction software
The webinar offers much information on literacy and technology integration along with examples of lesson plans that incorporate technology in the literary content area that are very well done.
Growing as a Teacher!
A research paper written by Hiller A. Spires, Lisa Hervey & Tanya Watson from North Carolina State University titled: “Scaffolding the TPACK Framework in Reading and Language Arts: New Literacies and New Minds,” explores what it means to be literate in the 21st century. The University of North Carolina State put together the New Literacies Collaborative program in the hopes of making connections between researchers, educators, the component of literacy, technology and media.
This program put together a digital presentation attainable at: newlit.org
This presentation is titled Digital Videos and New Literacies: Vignetts from the Field at a 2009 site conference.
This paper speaks to issues we discussed at EDT 514. It also tells us that as we learned in class, learning how to use technology and how to integrate it with content are two different concepts. Just knowing how to put together a digital story, having skills to put together a phenomenal PowerPoint or to make a Pod cast does not complete the integration between technology and content instruction.
The leading question of this research was:
How does an inquiry learning project model assist TPACK development and propel ELA teachers to integrate technology?
The study utilized a mixed-method approach. The participants were twenty teachers, nineteen females and one male. The teachers were enrolled in a college course that provided the following:
The opportunity to learn new technologies
Design specific ELA lessons that incorporate these new technologies
Implement these new lessons in their own classrooms
Teachers were also instructed to do the following during this course and study:
Ask a compelling research question such as “how can Voice thread assist students be more engaged when learning poetry?”
Gather and analyze information. Teachers would then research and create a lesson plan based on their question.
Creatively synthesize information. Teachers were asked to demonstrate complex thinking by utilizing different texts to present their information such as print, web based and video.
Critically evaluate and revise their product.
Publish and share their findings.
Since the study was mixed, both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. The sampling of the study was purposive. Teachers answered a survey, analogies were created by teachers and teachers offered reflections on what the relationships were between TPACK and their own activities. Categories were formed from these qualitative data and then quantitative data was created. Pre and post data was collected on the above.
The results concluded that:
"1) Technology Use Facilitates Student Learning and Creativity, and 2) Teachers Create New Educational Futures through Innovation and Collaboration. Additionally, we explore some of the challenges that educators face as they strive to transform ELA teaching and learning for the 21st century” (Spires, Hervey, & Watson, 2009).
This paper is worth reading since it answers questions we all had during this course. This is actual research on whether a particular model such as the one used in this course can facilitate teacher knowledge about TPACK and successfully incorporated technologies into their Language Arts lessons. This brief synopsis only scratches the surface of the valuable information this research study offered.
Please click below for a complete copy of this research study:
Below is a case study composed by graduate students. These students took a deep look on using the pedagogical framework with technology in the Language Arts classroom. The students tools a stance on developing a sense of pedagogy in order to properly incorporate technology. This study give very clear and descriptive examples of teachers incorporating technology in the Language Arts classroom.
Modifying Other Content Ideas to Enhance the Language Arts Classroom
Although language arts content has essential elements to keep in mind when planning and executing TPCK lessons, strategies mentioned in other content areas can be just as useful and beneficial to the LA classroom. The following TPCK suggestions were modified using the Handbook of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) for Educators. The page numbers reflect the 2008 edition.
World languages often rely on computer assisted language learning (CALL). This technology opportunity allows students to practice their reading, writing, and social interactions in a “real time” situation. Essentially, students are able to “talk” to one another and apply their knowledge in real life situations. Students who are acquiring basic English skills, especially in terms of vocabulary and grammar, could use CALL to demonstrate their level of knowledge. (114)
The writing process can be enhanced by students sending and responding to emails. Providing a legitimate and life-long skill allows students to make deeper connections and become more independent in their skills. This on-going activity helps facilitate the writing process, compared to dictated atmospheres in traditional settings. (115)
Social studies and TPCK focus on teachers pinpointing digital files to enhance classroom content. The Internet is full of resources, so teachers should have a plan of attack for filtering and selecting sites, images, and digital files that promote learning in the classroom. Both content knowledge and knowledge of their students must play a role in teachers’ selections of resource materials. (132)
Just as teachers are required to select appropriate digital files for classroom use, it is important that students develop similar media literacy skills. Content standards are currently directed at students using a variety of media resources to present their knowledge and skills. It remains important for students to realize appropriate use if Internet sites and files, so that they can model positive digital citizenship. (133)
At a first glance, linking language arts and mathematics might appear challenging. What mathematics can offer language arts is the aspect of enhancing and making real-life connections with its content. Incorporating technology strategically engages students and encourages higher-order thinking skills. Of course mathematics and language art exercises can be executed by hand, with pencils and papers. When focusing on TPCK, however, technology takes learning to a different level and provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge to real-life situations. The use of technology can often answer the “why” part of learning in the classroom. (156)
Our textbook discusses how arts education might be an avenue for addressing students’ various needs and preferred learning methods. Incorporating visual images or clips that involved animation and sound can help us reach out and connect with more our students’ individual learning needs. It remains important that images and other digital files are carefully selected for their importance regarding the lesson and content. (170)
Although the following information was specifically suggested for a drama class, the ideas were modified for a language arts classroom:
Record written work and use quotes or other images as an oral storytelling project.
Create blogs to publish current events and student responses.
Use PowerPoints in student presentations relating to written work or classroom topics.
Digitally record content information so students can access it for studying purposes outside of the classroom. Students could even tackle the information themselves by creating original podcasts. (184)
When discussing how technology can impact science education, language arts teachers can learn quite a bit, especially when focusing on planning and managing a lesson with technology. A few key points to keep in mind when designing a TPCK lesson include:
What type of instruction will need to take place so students can successfully use the technology? What types of troubleshooting will I need to be ready for? How will I know students are ready to use the technology for their assigned project?
How will students be grouped when working with technology: individual, paired, small groups? How much time will be allotted to groups to complete their tasks? Will groups all work on the same assignment, or will tasks be split among groups?
How will technology help engage students in the learning process? How
What type of assessment is necessary so that students can display their knowledge? What pieces of the activity can I improve or modify the next time I want to use it? (199)
TPACK and Language Arts Content
Schmidt & Gurbo (2008) tells us that research indicates that 95% of all students can be taught to read. Traditional reading strategies that target comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, phonics and phonemic awareness are used daily in schools around the country to assist struggling readers. Content Knowledge (CK) and Pedagogical Knowledge (PK) are important components of how successful a teacher in teaching literary skills.
Technological tools are available to enhance teaching reading skills and these can also modify how students learn literacy skills.
In Chapter 3 of our text, the aim is to facilitate the integration of CK, PK and technology to form, what we know to be Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK). Teachers need to become guides as to how we accommodate learning in this ever changing technology guided world. Our text states:
The Internet is a “moving target” that will continually change according to what society expects from a literate person (Kinzer & Leander, 2003, p.547). Literacy will constantly be redefined as new technologies emerge and as expectations changes for what it means to be literate. Students and educators in today’s literacy classrooms must use a variety of technological resources and tools as they synthesize information to communicate knowledge. Likewise, literacy educators will be expected to respond to these changes with a solid knowledge base about specific content, pedagogical and technological knowledge related to literacy (Schmidt & Burbo, 2008, p. 63).
Our text breaks down the performance areas literacy teachers must possess:
- foundational knowledge
- instructional strategies and curriculum materials
- assessment, diagnosis and evaluation
- creating a literate environment
- professional development (Schmidt & Burbo, 2008, 64)
Intertwined with the above the PCK our texts suggest are:- Teach literacy as a developmental continuum
- Apply the appropriate teaching methods and strategies while considering the diversity of learners and individual differences
- Create a supportive environment that increasers learners’ engagement
- Motivate students to read
- Select and use a large range of strategies and tools for assessment (Schmidt & Burbo, 2008, p.65)
In an article written by Levinz & Klieger (2010), the claim is that in this Information Communication Technology era, teachers need to become informed about and utilize the online environment. Levinz & Klieger designed an indicator to project the magnitude to which TK is integrated with PCK. The authors used this method to indicate how much TK is with CK and PCK is integrated within several teacher created lesson plans. The study researched fifty three online tasks developed by fourteen high school teachers in different content areas between 2001 and 2007.Here are the attributes of this indicator:
The benchmarks of levels of performance of these tasks were:
1—low 2—medium 3—high
The results indicate that through the time frame the study lasted (six years) the quality of the tasks increased with time and with guidance. This supports the necessity for Professional Development and continual support for technology to be successfully integrated in school’s curriculum.
In the webinar series conducted by the Center for Implementing Technology in Education:
http://www.cited.org/library/site/media/Enhancing%20Content%20Area%20Reading.pdf
defines content literacy as the ability to use reading and writing to acquire new content knowledge, the ability to build on prior knowledge, and the ability to understand specialized vocabulary. The webinar states that student problems are; identifying main ideas and details, sorting information, perceiving levels of importance, and connecting ideas.
The following illustration offers suggestions as to how to connect strategies to software tools:
Literacy Strategies Software Tools
Comprehension Monitoring-----------------------------------------------Electronic text with speech recognition capabilities
Use of semantic organizers---------------------------------------------- Use of hypertext
Question Answering-------------------------------------------------------- Visual Concept Organization Programs
Question Generatio----------------------------------------------------------Visual Concept Organization Programs
Text Structure----------------------------------------------------------------- Writing Templates
Summarization---------------------------------------------------------------- Word prediction software
The webinar offers much information on literacy and technology integration along with examples of lesson plans that incorporate technology in the literary content area that are very well done.
Growing as a Teacher!
A research paper written by Hiller A. Spires, Lisa Hervey & Tanya Watson from North Carolina State University titled: “Scaffolding the TPACK Framework in Reading and Language Arts: New Literacies and New Minds,” explores what it means to be literate in the 21st century. The University of North Carolina State put together the New Literacies Collaborative program in the hopes of making connections between researchers, educators, the component of literacy, technology and media.
This program put together a digital presentation attainable at: newlit.org
This presentation is titled Digital Videos and New Literacies: Vignetts from the Field at a 2009 site conference.
This paper speaks to issues we discussed at EDT 514. It also tells us that as we learned in class, learning how to use technology and how to integrate it with content are two different concepts. Just knowing how to put together a digital story, having skills to put together a phenomenal PowerPoint or to make a Pod cast does not complete the integration between technology and content instruction.
The leading question of this research was:
How does an inquiry learning project model assist TPACK development and propel ELA teachers to integrate technology?
The study utilized a mixed-method approach. The participants were twenty teachers, nineteen females and one male. The teachers were enrolled in a college course that provided the following:
The opportunity to learn new technologies
Design specific ELA lessons that incorporate these new technologies
Implement these new lessons in their own classrooms
Teachers were also instructed to do the following during this course and study:
Ask a compelling research question such as “how can Voice thread assist students be more engaged when learning poetry?”
Gather and analyze information. Teachers would then research and create a lesson plan based on their question.
Creatively synthesize information. Teachers were asked to demonstrate complex thinking by utilizing different texts to present their information such as print, web based and video.
Critically evaluate and revise their product.
Publish and share their findings.
Since the study was mixed, both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. The sampling of the study was purposive. Teachers answered a survey, analogies were created by teachers and teachers offered reflections on what the relationships were between TPACK and their own activities. Categories were formed from these qualitative data and then quantitative data was created. Pre and post data was collected on the above.
The results concluded that:
"1) Technology Use Facilitates Student Learning and Creativity, and 2) Teachers Create New Educational Futures through Innovation and Collaboration. Additionally, we explore some of the challenges that educators face as they strive to transform ELA teaching and learning for the 21st century” (Spires, Hervey, & Watson, 2009).
This paper is worth reading since it answers questions we all had during this course. This is actual research on whether a particular model such as the one used in this course can facilitate teacher knowledge about TPACK and successfully incorporated technologies into their Language Arts lessons. This brief synopsis only scratches the surface of the valuable information this research study offered.
Please click below for a complete copy of this research study:
https://www.fi.ncsu.edu/assets/research_papers/new-literacies-collaborative/scaffolding-the-tpack-framework-in-reading-and-language-arts-new-literacies-and-new-minds.pdfBelow is a case study composed by graduate students. These students took a deep look on using the pedagogical framework with technology in the Language Arts classroom. The students tools a stance on developing a sense of pedagogy in order to properly incorporate technology. This study give very clear and descriptive examples of teachers incorporating technology in the Language Arts classroom.
http://www.citejournal.org/vol4/iss1/languagearts/article1.cfmModifying Other Content Ideas to Enhance the Language Arts Classroom
Although language arts content has essential elements to keep in mind when planning and executing TPCK lessons, strategies mentioned in other content areas can be just as useful and beneficial to the LA classroom. The following TPCK suggestions were modified using the Handbook of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) for Educators. The page numbers reflect the 2008 edition.